[IMG:L]Kathy Griffin had it all planned out. If she lost to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition at the Emmys again this year, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. “I thought if I lose…I’m going to run up anyway, grab the Emmy and then take it until security takes me to Emmy jail.” Of course if she won, she wasn’t going up unprepared, with a “pretty fairly offensive speech about Jesus” already on paper.
The comedienne didn’t go home empty handed, winning Outstanding Reality Program at the 2007 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her show My Life on the D-List. As planned, Griffin shouted “Suck it Jesus, this award is my God now!” from the stage.
Hollywood.com had front row seats backstage to chat with Griffin and this year’s other winners and presenters at the awards show honoring reality television, guest stars and the behind-the-scenes talent of America’s favorite television shows.
Andy Samberg on writing a follow up to his Emmy winning Saturday Night Live song “Dick in a Box”:
“There won’t be a sequel or anything. We talked about ‘Balls in a Bucket,’ but I just don’t think it’s as catchy.”
Kathy Griffin on renaming My Life on the D-List:
“I have like an A-list pass for the day, but it’s like when Neiman’s and Saks have a sale and that 30 percent card is only good for one day so I’ll be back on the D-list tomorrow when someone says, ‘Congratulations, Ms. Gifford.’ at the mall, believe me.”
[IMG:R]Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series winner Elaine Stritch on playing Alec Baldwin’s mother on 30 Rock:
“You all know Alec Baldwin‘s nuts. He’s a brilliant actor and you know I don’t want to go out on dates with him so I’m not trying to come onto him, but I just appreciate him. I said this once before tonight, he’s what I call a fine actor…I just hope he calms down and takes it easy. You know, easy does it. But he’s so good, and he’s the most unselfish male actor I have ever worked with.”
Leslie Caron, winner of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, on her first television role in 20 years for Law and Order: SVU:
“[The producers] sent me the script by e-mail when I was on holiday and I thought I could do something with it and so I said yes. Besides I’m a huge fan of Law & Order…because I find it very satisfying. At the end of the one hour film, the villain gets caught. It doesn’t always happen in life so I think it’s reassuring. I love to watch them.”
Presenters Mekhi Phifer and Maura Tierney on what they were thinking on stage:
Phifer: “Don’t fuck up the words.”
Tierney: “Don’t fuck up the words. And I did a little bit. They switched it up on me. They did. The poor dude that I was giving his plaque to, it was three names when we rehearsed so I was ready to go, duh, duh, duh, but then there was just one. So it was this weird hole. [Laughs]”
Nigel Lythgoe on the origins of his Governor’s Award winning program, American Idol’s “Idol Gives Back“:
“Richard Curtis, who does relief work in England, and Simon Fuller were talking in the UK and we said ‘How can we do a program that was going to help underprivileged children in America?’ And they decided ‘Why not use the program American Idol?’ It’s the biggest program in America…Fox was obviously a little worried about doing it originally, because it was taking their number one show and messing it around. And it was also in the middle of our sixth season and on a results night. So we had to change things around. We didn’t let anybody go that night. We didn’t want the tears of that and if anybody $76 million dollars I think it was tasked as being a success.”
[IMG:L]Stanley Tucci on what it means to win Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Monk:
“I’m flattered to win it, but I’m flattered really to be in the company of the other actors who were nominated because you know they’re great actors…It means ‘Where am I going to put it?’ That’s what it means.”
The 2007 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards will air at 8 p.m. on Sept. 15 on E!
